Little Things
by AkitoTsubaki
Summary: Neji can’t help but be struck with wonder, again, at the simple fact that Shikamaru Nara chose him. Collection of twenty holiday/winter-themed AU drabbles.
1. Inflatable Snow Globes

**Prompt: **#3 (Inflatable Snow Globes)  
**Genre:** Shameless fluff  
**Rated: **K+ for snuggling  
**Warnings:** Two boys doing romantic stuff.  
**Word Count: **384**  
Disclaimer: **I profit not. If I profited, I wouldn't be stuck going to a community college, would I? Seriously, it's probably better that I don't own the series. (cough)  
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"I hate those things," Shikamaru mumbles, squirming away from the window through which he sees the offending objects. Neji doesn't mind; they are pretty creepy, he thinks, and since the boys are sitting next to each other and Shikamaru has the window seat, in order to get further from the disgustingly tacky holiday decorations, he has no choice but to nuzzle into Neji's side. In fact, Neji notes smugly, Shikamaru does so quite willingly, with a darling pout and a little 'hn', his hands wrapping around Neji's bicep to draw himself closer (well, further from the window, really, but Neji is in love, and so allows himself to ever-so-slightly skew his perception).

He laughs indulgently and lets his arm slide around Shikamaru's shoulders. "They are pretty frightening," he agrees, his heart thudding with carefully-disguised excitement at the physical contact. He isn't looking outside the bus at the bloated, lit-up plastic monstrosities that he's talking about, or the still-snowless yards that house them; his gaze is on the boy curled against his side, clutching his arm for dear life. The small strand of hair that has sprung free from the messy, thick ponytail is particularly distracting, so Neji reaches up to tuck it back behind Shikamaru's ear, little shocks coursing from his fingertips through his whole arm at the feel of slightly coarse hair against his hand.

Shikamaru makes a small, happy noise and shifts, and something in Neji squirms happily as the other boy's movement brings them closer. Shikamaru lays his head on Neji's shoulder then, and his fingers play restlessly with Neji's sleeve. Neji just about has a heart attack; even now, he still can't get over the little things that make Shikamaru who he is, the little quirks and ticks that he doesn't show anyone else.

"Let me know when we've passed most of them," he yawns, and his hand slips down to twine with Neji's. "I'm gonna take a nap."

As Shikamaru curls up into a more comfortable position on the seat, lazy and sleepy and loose (except for the tight grip he has on Neji's fingers), Neji can't help but be struck with wonder, again, at the simple fact that Shikamaru Nara chose _him. _

He smiles, warmth spreading through him from a spot near his belly, and draws Shikamaru close.

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**A/N: **Here I am again, guys. Let's see if I can actually finish something this time, eh? –sweatdrop- Well, I'm hoping that won't be a problem this time, as I'm between classes and have nothing to do except write myself silly. xD

The concept behind this series is twenty winter/holiday-themed AU drabbles about Neji and Shikamaru, or, specifically, about NejiShikamaru. They'll vary in rating, genre, and length, and this will be updated as I complete each drabble. That means 1) unbeta'd except for a quick once-over by my sister, and 2) most likely several updates a day. I want to get all twenty of these babies out by New Year's. 8D I am going to die….but sacrifices must be made for the writing.


	2. Jewelry Commercials

**Prompt: **#7 (Jewelry Commercials)  
**Genre:** Shameless fluff/humor  
**Rated: **K+ for snuggling  
**Warnings:** Two boys doing romantic stuff.  
**Word Count: **819**  
Disclaimer: **The only profit I make off this is personal feelings of warm-fuzzy. **  
This chapter dedicated to: **sonotgoingthere for the review (hearts), and my sister for a shared hatred of spinal cord necklaces.

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"It looks like half of a strand of DNA."

"Maybe they were going for a serpentine effect?"

"_I _think it's sweet, don't you, Chouji?"

"No, I--ow. Uh, yeah. Of course. Real sweet."

"Maybe it's supposed to be an 's'. You know, 's' for…special someone?"

"You're all idiots," Sasuke snapped irritably, his arms crossing in that uniquely Uchiha way that screamed, _I am superior to each and every one of you. _"It's just blatant commercialism, playing on the sentimentality of the general female populous."

Naruto frowned, tugging Sasuke into his lap, his hands under the boy's t-shirt. "Aww, 'Uke-bastard, do you have to be so snarky all the time?" He nuzzled into Sasuke's dark hair and nipped lightly at the other boy's neck. "Get into the holiday spirit, wouldja? Or maybe I should buy one of those snaky necklace thingies for you. Loosen up your stony heart and all that." He snickered gleefully, ducking from the pillow Sasuke had begun hitting him with.

_So this is what his friends do when they get together. _Neji sat back on his chair, wrists crossed elegantly in his lap. He wasn't joining the conversation, but that was okay; he was here more to observe than anything. He had a comfortable relationship with most of these people, but they weren't really his _friends _(except for Lee, but he was so wrapped up in being disgustingly cute with Gaara that he probably wouldn't have noticed a bomb dropping); they were Shikamaru's. Neji had been invited along because he was the boyfriend of the host, not because he was renowned for his excellence in socialization.

Which had been okay, for the first ten minutes of the film. Gaara had wrapped himself in Lee's arms and had yet to move from that position, and the rest of Shikamaru's friends had piled together on the couch under a fluffy blanket. He and Shikamaru had curled up on the far end; Neji was content just to stroke his boyfriend's hair, while Shikamaru endured Kiba's seemingly random elbowings and occasionally responded to a whispered comment with a grunt or sigh. It had been very, very nice; ten minutes of playing with Shikamaru's ponytail, breathing in Shikamaru's slightly earthy scent, softly brushing his lips against Shikamaru's ear…and then the digitally-recorded program had cut to a commercial.

To Neji's great chagrin, Shikamaru had taken the opportunity to get up and find some snacks, thereby leaving Neji alone with the group.

"Fast forward through the commercials if you want," Shikamaru had said as he'd left for the kitchen. Naruto had been in the process of doing just that when Gaara, of all people, had choked out a laugh at one of the fast-moving images.

"Just doesn't strike me as very romantic," he'd explained at the slightly bemused looks of his friends, and then he'd gone back to nuzzling with Lee. The rest of them had started a conversation on what exactly the necklace was supposed to represent, which had escalated to the full-blown debate-slash-pillow fight (courtesy of Sasuke, though he'd maintain that it was Naruto's fault for being stupid) that Shikamaru returned to.

"Geez. I leave you guys alone for five minutes and this is what happens," a familiar, honey-rich voice drawled from somewhere just above Neji's ear. He smiled softly and reached up, his fingertips brushing against Shikamaru's slightly-rough jaw.

"They got distracted," Neji murmured, inclining his head towards the currently paused image on the screen. "Something about a jewelry commercial. I think there's disagreement as to what the thing is actually supposed to look like." Personally, Neji thought it bore a rather disturbing resemblance to a human spinal cord, but he didn't particularly feel the need to add yet another voice to the loud conversation.

Shikamaru dropped a kiss to the top of Neji's head, his hand lingering on Neji's shoulder as he moved from behind the couch to reclaim his seat. Neji's arms went out for him from pure habit, and Shikamaru welcomed the embrace, curling his feet up under him and laying his head on Neji's shoulder.

"You know, I think I'd have to marry the man who said that necklace represented the strong backbone supporting our love," Shikamaru mused as he lightly kicked Kiba's ribs. "Oi, tell Naruto to start the movie again, will you?"

"Whisker-boy, start the movie!" Kiba snarled, and that set off another round of wails and pillow-thumping as Naruto and Kiba fought over control of the remote, all while Sasuke bitched about being caught between two Neanderthals and why the hell was he dating Naruto anyway, and seriously, Naruto, stop molesting him.

Neji merely smiled, ignoring the commotion; Shikamaru, and their apparent ability to read each other's minds, was much more interesting.

_That takes care of one present, then, _he thought to himself. Yeah, it was cheesy, and a little girly, but the diamonds would sparkle so enticingly against Shikamaru's dusky skin...

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**A/N: **Look up "Journey Diamond Pendant". And then review, because only one is so lonely...


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